As the flu season heats up in the depths of winter, some people are confused as to whether it is a cold, flu or novel coronavirus infection, as physical symptoms such as runny noses and sore throats emerge. ‘Many of the symptoms are similar to those of a cold or flu,’ said Sarah Ash Combs, a physician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, ACCORDING to CNN. ‘The best thing to do is get tested for the virus.’ To find out if there is novel coronavirus infection.

‘If you don’t get tested, it’s really hard to tell at this point,’ Combs said. As a precaution, she noted, flu-like symptoms “need to be treated at the same level as those in the novel coronavirus.”

With many schoolchildren returning to school after winter break, Mr. Combs said that given the current situation in the United States, people should approach the symptoms of cold, flu and novel coronavirus with the same mindset.

She says it is important for children to be vaccinated against the flu virus. When children return to school, testing for the virus is an effective way to prevent the spread of the outbreak.

Novel Coronavirus infections and influenza often cause fever, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., according to the CENTERS for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

‘Many of the initial symptoms of discomfort look almost like a cold or flu,’ said Abdul El-Sayed, a former director of operations for Detroit’s Health department. ‘If you have a headache and a dry cough, it could be novel coronavirus infection. Loss of taste and smell are the most obvious signs of infection.’

Sayed said people should seek medical attention immediately if they experience severe chest pain, especially a worsening dry cough.

He analyzed that contact history is an important indicator to determine whether there is an epidemic, flu or cold. When the body began to feel uncomfortable, might as well start to recall the recent contact with the object, whether anyone diagnosed, at this time the best independent isolation, and accept rapid screening.

He said people should be alert if there has been a confirmed case close to them, even if they do not feel unwell. “I think we need to step up our preparedness because the Omicron strain is spreading like wildfire,” he said.

John Torres, a former Colorado emergency physician and NBC medical commentator, said if you feel sick, it’s best to assume you have the virus, including self-quarantine and testing until the hypothesis is ruled out.

“Wait until the virus test is negative to start thinking about whether it is a cold or flu, but until the test results are available, it is best to assume a novel coronavirus infection because there are many similarities between the three symptoms,” he said.